Emergency Social Services Plan

A region committed to emergency preparedness

The Medicine Hat Regional Emergency Response Plan was formed by a commitment to emergency preparedness. The City of Medicine Hat, the Town of Redcliff, and Cypress County have pooled their resources to plan and prepare for emergencies on a regional basis. They share the Regional Emergency Response Plan and its multiple supporting plans including the emergency Social Services (ESS) Plan.

Emergency Social Services
Emergency Social Services (ESS) oversees the human component of emergency response. Specifically, ESS is responsible for securing the essential needs of evacuees and response workers in an emergency.

Emergency Social Services (ESS) Plan
The ESS Plan clearly defines guidelines, roles, responsibilities, and procedures to follow in the event of an emergency impacting the city. Specifically, the plan details:

Activation, deactivation, and post-deactivation procedures for the ESS Plan including different response stages according to the magnitude of the emergency;

Procedures for area evacuation;

Guidelines for reception centres and volunteer centres, including designated and back-up locations;

The provision of primary services to affected individuals, including emergency food, lodging, and clothing;

The provision of specialized services to affected individuals, including transportation, personal services, and other services;

Procedures for managing volunteers;

Communication procedures for establishing and maintaining the flow of information within the agency and to everyone involved;

An organizational structure that combines both the city’s leadership role in ESS response and the integral role of assisting agencies;

The roles and responsibilities of ESS personnel and assisting agencies; and